All of the information on this page is my own personal opinion and has been gathered over years of  Sphynx breeding/showing experience - many kitten buyers who have not followed these simple rules sure wish they had:

1. Do not buy from any breeder that does not offer a contract and guarantee - these documents are for the protection of the buyer as well as the seller and the cat/kitten. Do not buy from any breeder that is not willing to send registration papers with the cat unless other arrangements have been made.

2. Do not buy from any breeder that refuses access to their home or cattery - if they only want to meet you at the Cracker Barrel parking lot or someplace along the highway and will not let you see how/where they keep their cats that should tell you something.  Understand that many breeders will only allow visitors at specific times and within a specific area of their home for security reasons.

3. Most ethical breeders will now spay and neuter non-breeder kittens before they leave the cattery - this is the best way to insure that the breeder has the kitten's best interest at heart and is not using you to save them the $50 to $100 the spay or neuter will cost them. They can easily add it into the cost of the kitten as we do here.  This requires that kittens stay until they are about 12 to 16 weeks of age.  DO NOT BUY from breeders who place kittens at 6 and 8 weeks old.  THEY ARE TOO YOUNG!

4.  If you are considering buying a breeding quality cat do not be offended if the breeder requires you to first own an altered (spayed or neutered) cat and take it to a few cat shows.  This alter should preferably be a Sphynx, but any recognized purebred will be considered or even a household pet which are now being shown in some associations.  This alter does not necessarily need to come from the cattery you are interested in purchasing a breeder from.  This helps you, the buyer, to understand what is expected of a breeding quality Sphynx, ethical breeding practices and will allow you to get to know the Cat Fancy community.  If you have no intention of showing your breeding cat at all you honestly have no business breeding.  This is how most ethical breeders will approach the subject of breeding purchases.

5. Do not buy or deal with any breeder that sells pregnant female cats - if they have so little respect for their animals as to sell them during such a delicate time to a complete stranger they certainly will not be very concerned about you the buyer.

6. GO SEE THE CATTERY - this is the best way to see that the pet you may be purchasing is raised and cared for in a clean and loving manner. The home/cattery should not smell, have filthy or sick animals running all over and should be a clean, loving and humane living environment.

7. ASK FOR REFERENCES! - it's easy for any ethical breeder to put you in contact with their veterinarian or kitten buyers from the past to see if they are happy and the kittens were delivered in the manner presented to the buyer.

8. DO NOT BE COMPULSIVE ABOUT BUYING!!!! - this is one of the quickest ways for a buyer to get into trouble. Most respected Sphynx breeders have a waiting list. They are NOT "KITTENS-R-US" and do not usually have kittens of the right age, sex and color laying around the house ready to be sold except on very rare occasions. These waiting lists can be for months in some cases, but it is in your best interest in the long run to research and do your homework before making a commitment on a pet that could live 20 years with you. If you really want a high-quality Sphynx kitten from a respected and ethical breeder you should be willing to WAIT for what you want. If you do not, you are likely to end up buying from a kitten-mill that does nothing but breed cats continuously for the money and your vet bills, after receiving one of these kitten-mill pets, will make the price you paid in the first place look like cents on the dollar.

9.  Please do not get a cat if you plan to declaw it.   People who declaw cats remind me of people who de-bark dogs.  If you don't want an animal that barks - don't get a dog, if you don't want an animal that scratches - don't get a cat.